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“I’d appreciate that.” Naia fidgeted with her fingernails in her lap, flicking her gaze over at him and back down on her hands.

“Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

She turned her head, slightly stunned by his consideration.

He fixated straight ahead on the road, his expression at ease. He must’ve sensed her eyes on him, because he gave her a sidelong glance. “I, however, am open to answering some of your questions.”

Against her will, her lips formed a smile. “You seem enthused by the prospect.”

He gave a small shrug. “I’m curious to know what you’re thinking.”

She bit her bottom lip back, peering down at her knuckles. “Were you close to your father?”

Ronin brought his hand up to push the hair from his face. “Starting deep, are we?”

Naia leveled him with a confrontational look. “Or you tell me if you’re a witch or not.”

He smiled. “I think I’ll keep that one a secret until you’re ready to open up.”

Naia gave a derisive snort. “I think you refuse to give me a straightforward answer because you are one. What other reason would you have living in Hollow City?”

“I’ll show you when we get there.” He sighed, dropping his hand back down on his thigh. “To answer your question, my dad and I were close in my childhood, but shit got complicated. We had an okay relationship, but I did a lot of things he didn’t approve of.”

“Sounds complex,” Naia murmured. Did a parent/child relationship exist in the world that could be defined as simple? She doubted so. “You seem close to Yuki and Akane.”

Ronin kept his eyes on the road straight ahead. “Well, Yuks was protective of me when we were kids, but then when she had Akane, I guess you could say, I became the protective one.”

“I know how that goes.” Bittersweet nostalgia swept memories up from Finnian’s childhood. “I was protective of my younger sibling as well… Until he grew up to be stronger.”

It had been over a century since she last saw Finnian and he was only a middle god back then.

Ronin fell quiet for a beat. “You have a younger brother,” he commented, and she smirked at how he purposely phrased it to not be a question.

A giggle sprang out of her. “You’re trying desperately not to pry, aren’t you?”

He rolled his eyes, a grin following. “Shut up.”

Their travels ranged in a variety of views. Tall street lamps lined the overpass, with exits Ronin used to stop for gas.

She’d read about vehicles and how they operated. Thanks to Solaris, who had brought her books and vehicle manuals from his visits to the Mortal Land to sate her curiosity.

When Ronin returned from paying inside the establishment, the sound of a can popping open filled the car. Naia noted it was another nitro cold brew, and it reminded her to feign tiredness.

She made a point to yawn.

“It’s been ages since you pissed,” he said before they pulled out of the parking lot. “Do you need to go before we get back on the interstate?”

Bodily needs. Naia tried not to wince.

“I haven’t consumed anything since the festival. I’m fine for now.”

He gave a faint nod, but she didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on her, as if he didn’t buy her excuse.

Regardless, he didn’t push any further on the subject.

It got her thinking, though.

After another hour on the road, she shifted her body towards him and searched for visible traces of his exhaustion.